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17-acre lake in Carbon County, Montana. The lake tops out around 100 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
On the chart, Summit Lake (Carbon) draws 22 acres inside 0.8 miles of shoreline. Its 1.2 shoreline index means few bank features; the contours below do the pattern work. 8% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. End to end it runs roughly 0.3 mi, about 0.2 mi across. You'll find it in Carbon County. The nearest mapped water is Martin Lake (Carbon), 1 mi to the west.
In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 40 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 41 ft, rated good for fall rainbow trout. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (14 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (14 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (41 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (95 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Spring pumpkinseed on Summit Lake (Carbon) hold shallow, usually 1 to 8 ft. They move out to 2 to 10 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 18 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a feeding flat near 14 ft that grades prime for fall. The feeding windows run the evening and early morning. The summer box starts with a micro tube or a sponge spider (fly).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (14 ft) | Micro jig under a float, Tiny beetle-spin |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (14 ft) | Micro tube, Sponge spider (fly) |
| Fall | 4 to 14 ft | dusk & dawn | Shallow bay flat (14 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 18 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (14 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
When the water first warms, cutthroat trout slide up into 3 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 35 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 41 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (41 ft) | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (41 ft) | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | dawn | Main-lake point (41 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig |
Summit Lake (Carbon) carries 4 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 100 ft down.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Montana waters are set by the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks — and special regulations can apply to Summit Lake (Carbon) specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Montana fishing regulations →
Summit Lake (Carbon) is about 100 ft (30 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target rainbow trout, pumpkinseed, cutthroat trout on Summit Lake (Carbon).
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a feeding flat in about 14 ft of water that rates prime for pumpkinseed in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For rainbow trout, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Summit Lake (Carbon) is regulated by the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Check the official Montana regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Martin Lake (Carbon) 1 mi · Lake At Falls 2 mi · Bergschrund Lake 2 mi · Rainbow Lake (Carbon) 2 mi · Vogel Lake 2 mi · Rimrock Lake 3 mi · Varve Lake (Forsaken Lake) 3 mi · Desolation Lake 3 mi · Big Butte Lake 3 mi · Till Lake 3 mi · Echo Lake (Carbon) 4 mi · Dewey Lake 4 mi
See how Summit Lake (Carbon) stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Montana · best cutthroat trout lakes in Montana · best pumpkinseed lakes in Montana
More water nearby: Carbon County fishing maps (65 charts). Browse all Montana fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.